Hello Mr. Mom

44 per cent of working dads would give up breadwinner role to spend more time with kids

Four-in-ten working dads say they would stay at home and assume the role of Mr. Mom if their spouse or partner earned enough to support their families, according to a CareerBuilder.com survey.

Struggling to balance work and home, 44 percent of working dads say they are willing to take a pay cut to spend more time with their children and 16 percent would take a pay cut of five percent or more. The survey, Working Dads 2006, polled more than 225 men, employed full-time, with children under the age of 18 living at home.

Twenty-eight percent of working dads say work is negatively affecting their relationship with their children, with heavy workloads and demanding schedules eating into quality time at home. Three-in-ten dads say they spend less than two hours per day with their children after work while 10 per cent spend less than one hour with their kids. Forty percent of working dads report they bring work home at least once a week with one-in-five doing so at least three days a week.

When comparing the work situations of men and women, the survey shows that working dads experience less flexibility with their employers than working moms. Forty percent of working dads say their companies offer flexible work arrangements, compared to 53 percent of working moms.

CareerBuilder.com offers the following tips to help working dads gain a healthy work/life balance:

1. Keep in touch: Make a quick call in between meetings and projects and let the children know they're top of mind.

2. Keep one calendar: Schedule baseball games and play recitals on the same calendar used for meetings and travel to avoid double-booking. Save vacation days for children's special events.

3. Save work for bedtime: Check e-mails and do other work-related tasks after the kids' bedtime.

4. Make time: At least once a week, schedule a family activity that involves interaction such as a game, bike ride, trip to the playground, etc.

5. Get involved: Get to know the children's teachers and ask for e-mail updates on their progress. Volunteer with Scouts, a sports team or at school to spend more time with the kids.

To read the full story, login below.

Not a subscriber?

Start your subscription today!